Peru’s Lima Homosexual Movement and other groups trying to drum up support for the introduction of same-sex civil unions in Peru have presented a petition signed by 10,000 people to the lawmaker trying to spearhead the proposal.

Possible Peru party congressman Carlos Bruce has been campaigning since September last year for the legalization of civil unions in Peru despite being attacked for doing so by church leaders in the majority Catholic Andean nation and the groups behind the petition hope Bruce will be able to use the petition to convince his parliamentary colleagues to support the reform.

Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, opposes the reform and even went so far as to accuse Bruce of being gay himself when he first announced his support for civil unions.

Bruce has said that he only wants to make Peru a more decent country for everyone – including LGBTI people.

Peru’s Justice Commission will be debating Bruce’s proposal over the next few days and the groups behind the petition hope it will be influential over the debate over the bill.

‘This will strengthen families, because it’ll add a new kind of family that is going to join their assets, they’re going to have more disposable income, and they’re going to pay more taxes,’ Bruce said in an interview with Peru21, according to Peru This Week.

‘And lastly, something else, the most important: they’re going to be happier, which they have every right to be.’